Armored Ground Cricket vs Legionary Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Armored Ground Cricket Legionary Ant
Scientific Name Acanthoplus discoidalis Neivamyrmex nigrescens
Order Orthoptera Hymenoptera
Family Tettigoniidae Formicidae
Size 40-50mm 2-5 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Carrion Feeders Omnivores
Regions Africa Southwestern United States, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Armored Ground Cricket

A large heavily armored katydid with sharp spines on its thorax and legs. It is flightless and moves in large migratory bands. When threatened, it can squirt hemolymph from its joints.

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Did You Know?

Individuals in marching bands become cannibalistic, and those that stop moving are eaten by those behind them.

Legionary Ant

The most common army ant species in the United States, conducting nocturnal column raids on other ant nests. Workers are small and reddish-brown with reduced eyes.

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Did You Know?

They are rarely seen because they raid almost exclusively at night and spend most of their time underground.